Cooler module and heat pipe for cooler module

ABSTRACT

A cooler module includes a heat pipe, which has one end terminating in a heat absorbing section that has at least one pane closely attached to the CPU to absorb heat from the CPU and a relatively greater metal wall thickness than the metal wall thickness of the heat pipe, and a heat sink connected to the other end of the heat pipe for dissipating heat absorbed from the CPU by the heat absorbing section of the heat pipe. The invention also provides a heat pipe for use in such a cooler module.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cooler module for cooling a thermal chip or the like and more particularly, to such a thermal cooler in which the part of the heat pipe to be attached to the thermal chip has a relatively greater wall thickness.

2. Description of the Related Art

During the operation of an electronic apparatus, the internal chip will emit heat. When the operating speed is increased, the amount of the emitted thermal energy will be relatively increased. This is commonly seen in a computer CPU, VGA, southbridge chip, and northbridge chip. During the operation of an electronic apparatus, heat must be quickly carried out of the housing of the electronic apparatus. Accumulation of heat energy inside the housing will cause damage to the internal parts. Therefore, “cooling”, in another world, “heat dissipation” is an important subject to manufacturers of notebook computers or the like.

A conventional heat dissipation apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a heat pipe A, a heat sink B connected to one end of the heat pipe A, and a thermal buffer member C, for example, copper block or copper plate welded to the other end of the heat pipe A and bonded to the thermal chip D for transferring heat energy from the thermal chip D to the heat pipe A.

If directly attach the heat pipe A to the thermal chip D to absorb heat energy from the thermal chip D directly, the uneven and continuous high temperature will cause the heat pipe A to dry out, and the heat pipe A will be unable to function well or may damage. Therefore, the thermal buffer member C is set in between the heat pipe A and the thermal chip D to buffer the transmission of heat energy from the thermal chip D to the heat pipe A.

However, the use of the aforesaid thermal buffer member C still has drawbacks. Because the thermal buffer member C is welded to the heat pipe A, the bonding area between the thermal buffer member C and the heat pipe A will produce a thermal resistance to lower the heat transfer effect. Further, the use of the thermal buffer member C greatly increases the labor and material cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a cooler module, which comprises a heat pipe. The heat pipe is a hollow pie installed in a computer cooler module, having a first end thereof connected to a heat sink and a second end attached to a thermal chip. The heat pipe has a heat conductive metal outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall formed of a thermal lining. The second end of the heat pipe is a heat absorbing section having a heat conductive metal outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall formed of a thermal lining. The heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat absorbing section has a wall thickness and outer diameter greater than the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat pipe.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a heat pipe, which has a heat absorbing section at one end. The heat absorbing section has a wall thickness and outer diameter greater than the heat pipe, and at least one flat bonding surface for bonding to a thermal chip to prevent a thermal resistance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating a cooler module according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating a cooler module according to the prior art.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 2, a cooler module in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a heat pipe 1, and a heat sink 2.

The heat pipe 1 is a hollow pipe (see FIG. 3), having a heat conductive metal outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall formed of a thermal lining 11. When the fluid, for example, pure water in the heat pipe 1 is heated into steam, the thermal lining 11 rapidly transfers steam to the heat sink 2 so that the heat sink 2 dissipates heat from steam into the outside open air. The thermal lining 11 is a sintered device having a powdered, meshed, or grooved structure. The heat pipe 1 can be made having a circular, oval, or rectangular cross section.

The heat pipe 1 has one end connected to the heat sink 2, and the other end terminating in a heat absorbing section 12 (see FIG. 4). The heat absorbing section 12 comprises a heat conductive metal outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall formed of a thermal lining 11.

Referring to FIG. 4, the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat absorbing section 12 has a wall thickness greater than the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat pipe 1. The thermal lining 11 of the heat absorbing section 12 can be thicker or thinner than the thermal lining 11 of the heat pipe 1, however the wall thickness of the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat absorbing section 12 must be greater than the wall thickness of the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat pipe 1.

Further, for closely attaching the heat absorbing section 12 to a thermal chip D, for example, CPU, VGA, southbridge chip or northbridge chip, the heat absorbing section 12 is made having at least one flat bonding surface 13. Further, there are two ways to have the wall thickness of the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat absorbing section 12 be greater than the wall thickness of the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat pipe 1. One way is to increase the wall thickness of the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat absorbing section 12. The other way is to reduce the wall thickness of the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat pipe 1 by milling.

The heat sink 2 can be obtained by means of conventional techniques. Further, the heat sink 2 can be fastened to one end of the heat pipe 1 by welding or clamping, or with screws.

Referring to FIG. 2 again, when in use, the at least one flat bonding surface 13 of the heat absorbing section 12 is bonded to the thermal chip D, for example, the top side of the thermal chip D. Thus, the heat absorbing section 12 absorbs heat from the thermal chip D to heat the fluid in the heat pipe 1 into steam that carries heat energy to the heat sink 2 for quick dissipation into the outside open air.

By means of the design of having the wall thickness of the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat absorbing section 12 be greater than the wall thickness of the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of the heat pipe 1, the invention eliminates the use of a thermal buffer member, thereby saving much labor and material cost and reducing the weight of the finished product.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A cooler module installed in a thermal chip of a computer to dissipate heat from the thermal chip, comprising: a heat pipe, said heat pipe formed of a heat conductive metal outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall formed of a first thermal lining; a heat sink connected to one end of said heat pipe; and a tubular heat absorbing section axially extended from one end of said heat pipe opposite to said heat sink and attached to said thermal chip to absorb heat from said thermal chip and to transfer heat from said thermal chip to said heat pipe, said tubular heat absorbing section being formed of a heat conductive metal outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall formed of a second thermal lining, the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of said tubular heat absorbing section having a wall thickness greater and outer diameter than the wall thickness and outer diameter of the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of said heat pipe.
 2. The cooler module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of said heat pipe is made of copper.
 3. The cooler module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of said tubular heat absorbing section is made of copper.
 4. The cooler module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular heat absorbing section has at least one flat bonding surface bonded to said thermal chip.
 5. The cooler module as claimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one flat bonding surface is respectively disposed at a bottom side of said tubular heat absorbing member and bonded to a top side of said thermal chip.
 6. The cooler module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat pipe is a flat pipe.
 7. The cooler module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal linings of said heat pipe and said tubular heat absorbing section have one of the powdered, meshed, and grooved structures
 8. A heat pipe being a hollow pipe installed in a computer cooler module, having a first end thereof connected to a heat sink and a second end attached to a thermal chip, said heat pipe having a heat conductive metal outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall formed of a thermal lining, wherein the second end of said heat pipe that is attached to said thermal chip forms a heat absorbing section, said heat absorbing section having a heat conductive metal outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall formed of a thermal lining, the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of said heat absorbing section having a wall thickness and outer diameter greater than the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of said heat pipe.
 9. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 8, wherein the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of said heat pipe is made of copper.
 10. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 8, wherein the heat conductive metal outer pipe wall of said tubular heat absorbing section is made of copper.
 11. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 8, wherein said heat pipe is a flat pipe.
 12. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 8, wherein said tubular heat absorbing section has at least one flat bonding surface bonded to said thermal chip.
 13. The hear pipe as claimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one flat bonding surface is respectively disposed at a bottom side of said tubular heat absorbing section and bonded to a top side of said thermal chip.
 14. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 8, wherein the thermal linings of said heat pipe and said tubular heat absorbing section have one of the powdered, meshed, and grooved structures.
 15. A heat pipe being a hollow pipe installed in a computer cooler module, said heat pipe having a first end connected to a heat sink and a second end attached to a thermal chip, wherein the second end of said heat pipe is a heat absorbing section having a wall thickness and outer diameter greater than said heat pipe.
 16. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 15, which is made of copper.
 17. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 15, wherein said heat absorbing section is made of copper.
 18. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 15, which is a flat pipe.
 19. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 15, wherein said heat absorbing section has at least one flat bonding surface bonded to said thermal chip.
 20. The cooler module as claimed in claim 19, wherein said at least one flat bonding surface is respectively disposed at a bottom side thereof and bonded to a top side of said thermal chip. 